Moldova's ex-military chief charged with treason over alleged espionage for Russia.

Igor Gorgan, the former chief of staff of the Moldovan military, has been charged with treason, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported on Sept.

19, citing the country's prosecutors. The Prosecutor's Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases said that Gorgan stands "accused in the case concerning alleged espionage on behalf of Russia." The investigative outlet The Insider wrote in June that Gorgan had been an informant of the Russian military intelligence agency (GRU) for years.

The Moldovan officer served as the chief of the General Staff between 2013 and 2016 and was reappointed to the position in 2019 under pro-Russian President Igor Dodon before losing the position again in 2021 at pro-Western President Maia Sandu's request. Even after losing office, the general has been using his contacts in the Defense Ministry and has passed sensitive information on Moldova and Ukraine to Russia, The Insider wrote. This reportedly included intelligence on military aid routes from Romania to Ukraine and on the political situation in Moldova.

While it is unclear when Gorgan's alleged cooperation with GRU began, their mutual communication reportedly became particularly active in April 2022, that is, shortly after the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine. Following the media investigation, Moldovan authorities launched a criminal case regarding data transmission related to the national defense system. The prosecutors said the investigation into "the nature and content of the allegedly transmitted information" is ongoing.

Gorgan has denied the accusations and called the media investigation fake. Chisinau has been supportive of Ukraine throughout the full-scale war and cracked down on Russian subversive operations at home, expelling dozens of diplomats and embassy staff in July 2023 after revelations of espionage activities. Russia's invasion sparked fears in Moldova of a possible spillover of hostilities, namely via the Russian-occupied Moldovan region of Transnistria.

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